Detector for imperfections in moving-picture films.



M. S. ROSENFELD.

DETECTOR FOR'IPIIPERFECTIONS IN MOVING PICTURE FILMS,

APPLlcATloN FILEDIUNE 7, 1915.

1 ,27 ,44:5 Patented Sept. 17', 1918,

6 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J ATTORNEY 6 SHEET A TTOH/VEV y M. S. ROSENFELD. DETECTOR EoR IMPEREEcnoNs 1N MOVING PICTURE mms. APPLlcA'TmN mED luNE 1, 191'5,

PatentedS a x E .E V E m Y Ji;

M. S. ROSE'NFELD.

DETECTOR FOR IMPERFECTIONS IN MOVING PICTURE FILMS.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE 1. I9I5.

1,279,445 Patented Sept. 1.7, 1918.

WIT/VESSES: l/VI/EN TOR me mams grens c1', wamunw., msumamm n. c.

M. S. RSENFELD.

DETECTOR FOR IIIIPERFECTIONS IN MOVING PICTURE FILMS.

APPLICATION FILED IuIIE I. 1915.

1,279,445. Patented sept. 17,1918.

BSHEETS-SHEET 5.

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VIS. ROSENFELD.

DETECTOR FOR IMPEHFECTIONS IN MOVING PICIURE FILM'S.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE 7, |915. l

Patented Sept. 17,1918.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

Wl TNESSES:

` UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

MAURICE S. ROSENFELD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., .ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO JACOB SCHECHTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DETECTOR FOR IMPERFECTIONS IN MOVING-PICTURE FILMS.

Application filed June 7, 1915.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that 1, MAURICE S. ROSEN- EELD, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of the Bronx, county of Bronx, city and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Detector for Imperfections in Moving-Picture Films,

of which the following is a specification.

In the exhibition of moving pictures the films frequently become mutilated by reason of the feeding sprockets tearing out one or more of the perforations in the side edges of the film strip. These breaks, if not immediately repaired, interfere with the proper feeding of the film, and may lead to more serious breaks, or even to the destruction of the film. All motion picture films are inspected when returned by the exhibitor to the exchange, and this inspection is done by a person skilled in this branch of the work, by drawing the film through his hand with his fingers, engaging the edges of the strip to determine by the sense of touch whether or not any of the perfor-ations are pulled out. This is a very unsatisfactory inspection, as the operator frequently misses short breaks, and these become enlarged the next time the film is exhibited, and the examination of film by this method by a very skilled operator is exceedingly slow.

My invention relates to a device wherein the filmr is fed through the machine at high speed, and the machine is automatically stopped whenever an imperforation in the film passes through; whenever a break or a misframe occurs in the film.

The object of my invention is to produce a device which will operate at high speed, which will detect the imperfections in the film, even the slightest break in the film; which will detect misframes, and instantly notify the operator.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which corresponding parts in all of the several figures are designated by similar reference characters, and in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device, with the film retaining gate removed;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

Serial No. 32,700.

Fig. 3a is a detail plan view of the locking shaft and its parts;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the device looking in the yopposite direction from Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the film retaining gate;

Fig. 6 is a detail plan view showing an American made film in position in the device;-

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing a break in the film;

Fig. 8 is a detail view of a portion of a foreign made film;

Fig. 9 is a detail transverse section of a detector roll;

Fig. l0 is a section on the line 10-10 of Fig. 9;

F igs.; 11 and 12 are diagrams showing the operation when a misframed film passes through the machine;

Fig. 13 is a diagram showing the circuits; and

Fig. 14 is a side elevation of the entire apparatus.

In the drawings, a represents a lm holding reel on which is wound a moving picture film Z). The film is led from the supply reel a through an imperfection detecting device c, and thence to a take-up reel d. The takeup reel l is driven by a motor (not shown) through a belt c.

The imperfection detector comprises a base 1, and side members 2, 2, on and between which the operative parts of the device are mounted. A shaft 3 is rigidly mounted in the side members and insulated therefrom, as shown at 4, Fig. 3. 0n the shaft is mounted a roller 5, which is made hollow to accommodate coil springs 6, 6, which bear against sleeves 7, 7, slidably carried on the shaft 3. The sleeves 7, 7 are carried one on each side of the roller, and are adapted to be forced by the springs 6, 6 into engagement with the side members of the frame, and make electrical contact therewith. Each sleeve carries an annulus member provided with teeth 8. These teeth, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, are sixteen in number and are spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between the perforations in a standard moving picture film. As shown in Fig. 10, the annulus memloo 'on the annulus member, that is, one recess for every four teeth.

Hinged to the upper edge of one of the side members is a gate 11. Pivoted in the gate is a frame 12, having arms 13, in which is journaled a rollerV 14. rlhe roller has enlarged portions 15, and is so supported that their peripheries are removed' from the major surface of the recessed portion of the sleeves 7, 7 a distance equal to the thickness of a'ilnn'so that a single thickness of film may pass between the sleeves and the por-1 tions15 of the roller 14. An arm 16 extends from the frame v12, and is connected by means of a link 17, with an arm 18, which is pivoted at 19, and which carries ay contact member 20. A springv 21v normally holds the arm against a stop 22, so lthat the contact held away from a stationary contact 23, secured `to and insulated from the gate 11. Film guide rollers 24, 24 are carried by the 'gate and serveto retain the film in contact with the roller 5. Y A

A shaft 25 is journaled in the side members 2, 2, andrhas secured thereto a lever 2 6, to which is secured one valve of a bellows 27, the other valve of which is rigidly secured to the base 1. A flexible tube 28 communicates with the bellows, and is provided with branches 29, 30, which communicate respectively with the mechanism for operating and governing the reels a and d, as described in my (Jo-pending application for patent, filed on even date herewith, entitled Combined brake and clutch.7 i

The lever 26 has an arm 31, and is provided on its upper side with two insulated cam ysurfaces 32, '32.' The cam surfaces are so proportioned and arranged that when the lever is in ythe position shown in'full lines in Figs. 1 and 2, they will be out of contact with the sleeves 7, 7, which then can be acted on by the springs 6, 6 to move one or both of them into contact with thefsid'e'member or members 2, 2. When the lever 26 is in the position shown in dotted lines Vin Fig. 1, the cam surfaces will move the sleeve or sleeves yback to the position shownl in Fig. 2, and retain them in such position as long as the bellows is n collapsed condition. The lever 26 has a depending arm 33V which is provided with a perforation 34 for the reception of a bolt 35 for'locking the lever in the positionV Vsource of power.

the bolt is rotated, it Vengages the cam surface 38 with the pin 39, the bolt will be moved longitudinally in the bearing, and the lever 26 will be unlocked. A spring 40 serves to normallyhold the disk in engage ment with the pin 39. Mounted in a side member 2 in axial alinement with the bolt 35 is a shaft 41 which has a bearing in an extension 42 of the bolt. The shaft is connected to the bolt by means of a key and keyway so as to allow relative longitudinal movement of the lock and shaft, and to permit them to rotate together.

Secured to the shaft 41 is a spool' 43 on which is wound a cord or chain V'1" he freeV end of theV cord is secured to the arm 3l, whereby when the arm is raised the shaft will b'e rotated in one direction against the tension of a spring 45, which is connected to the shaft outside the side member, and tends to rotate the shaft in the opposite direction. A disk46 is carried by the spool 43, and a (toolth 47 projects from the periphery of the is v Mounted on the base 1 is anelectrcmagaet 48, having a pivoted armature 49,.and carried by the armature is a finger 50 which `cooperates with the tooth 47 on lthe disk 46. The magnet is in a circuit 51, which includes a battery 52, the frame 1-2, the shaft 3, and the contacts 20 and 23. The tooth 47 normally is in engagement with the finger 50, as shown iny dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 4. When themagnet 48 is energized, the armature is attracted, ythe linger is Vremoved from engagement with'the tooth, and the spring 45 will rotate the shaft inthe clock-wise direction in Fig. 4, the bolt 35 will be with drawn from the arm 23, unlocking the lever 26, and a spring 53 connected to the shaft 25 outside the side members, and will rotate the shaft in the clock-wise direction in Fig. 1, and compress the bellows. A switch 54, one member of which is carried by the shaft 25, is in the circuit 51 to cut the current off when the device is not in operation. A weight is lused to move the finger 50 to a position, te be engaged by the tooth 47.

Carried on a side member 2 is a switch 56 which is in a circuit, which includes the motor 57 for driving the take-up reel l andits The blade of the switch 56 has an arm 58 which is connected to the arm 31 by a flexible connection 59.

The operation of my improved device is as follows:

The mechanism is set up, as shown in Fig. 14, with thel supply reel a carrying a roll of film to be inspected. The free end of the film is pulled'off 'the lreel a, the gate 11 is thrown back, the sleeves with their sprocket teeth 8 are moved inwardly by hand until they engage Vthe roller 5. rllhe toothed annuli will now be spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between the rows of perforations in the film. The lm now is laid across the device c with its perforations engaging the teeth and holding the sleeves against the ysprings 6. If' a film, such as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, be employed, care must be taken to have the mat line f, which is the line dividing kthe individual pictures, come in the space between the two teeth 8 of the sleeve 7, which is coincident with the center of the recess 10. The free end of the film is passed along to and secured to the take-up reel d; the gate is lowered and fastened in position with the enlargements 15 of the roller 14, resting on the film in proximity to the teeth 8. The contacts 20 and 23 are out of contact, and as the sleeves 7, 7 are withdrawn from contact with the side members, the circuit is broken at those points.

The device is now in the position shown in Fig. 1. The weight 55 is holding the armature 49 out of contact with the magnet, the pin 47 is resting on the finger 50, the bolt 35 is in engagement with the arm 33, and the bellows 27 is in extended condition. The switch 56 is now closed, the flexible connection with the arm 31 allowing this to be accomplished without disturbing the arm. The closing of the switch will start the motor 57 which will drive the take-up reel l which will draw the film from the supply reel a and through the detector o. The engagement of the perforations of the film with the teeth 8 will rotate the roller and the sleeves 7, 7, and the engagement of the teeth with the film will hold the sleeves 7, 7 out of contact with the frame.

lhen a torn-out portion of the film reaches the teeth 8, as shown in Fig. 7, the sleeve 7 at that side of the film will no longer be retained by the film, the spring 6 will force the sleeve into engagement with the frame, and the circuit will be closed. This will energize the magnet 48, the armature 49 will be attracted, the linger 50 will be withdrawn from beneath the pin 47, and the shaft 41 will be rotated by the spring 45. The rotation of the shaft will turn the bolt 35, the engagement of the cam face 38 with the pin 39 will withdraw the bolt from the slide, the spring will rotate the shaft 25. This will break the circuit at the switch 54. The rotation of the shaft E25 will carry the lever 26 down, and compress the bellows. This will force the air from the bellows through the tubes 29 and 30 to apply the brakes and stop the rotation of the reels, as specified in my copendingapplication above identified. The lowering of the lever 26 will elevate the arm 31 which will, by means of the connection 59, raise the arm 58Y and open the switch 56 to break the motor circuit and stop the motor.

The machine will now be at rest with the broken portion of the film just beyond the far guide roller 24. The stopping of the machine will at once notify the operator that an imperfection has been located, and the film will be taken out and repaired.

Any lap joints in film, which are formed at the mat line, will engage the sleeves 7, 7 at one of the recesses 10, and the increase of thickness of the lilm at this point will be taken care of by the recess, the enlargey ment 15 will not be raised, and the contact 20-23 will remain open.

Should the lm under inspection be one that has been improperly patched, and the lap of the patch comes between, rather than at a mat line, the lap will not come in time with a recess, but will arrive when a portion of maximum diameter of the sleeves is under the roller 15. This will place a double thickness of fihn under the part 15, raise it to the extent of one thickness. This will raise the arm 16, depress the arm 19, and close the circuit at 20-23, and the machine will be stopped as above described.

When the lever 26 is depressed to deiiate the bellows, the cam surfaces 32, 32 are moved over, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The engagement of the cam surface with the sleeve, which was moved outward by its spring, will restore the sleeve to its normal position to receive another film. The raising of the arm 31 will, through the cord 44 and drum 43, turn the disk 46 in the clock-wise direction in Fig. 1, to bring the pin 47 up over the finger 49, and the weight 55 will bring the pin to engage beneath the pin. The arm 31 is now brought down by hand, the perforation 34 will engage the bolt which has been moved out by the return movement of the shaft 41, and the machine will be ready for another operation when the switch 56 is closed.

In some classes of films, the mat line, instead of being between two pins, is in line with apin. -lVhen such a film is\to be inspected, the plate 9 is loosened and the annulus is rotated relatively to the plate and sleeve` so as to bring a tooth in the center of each recess 10, as shown in Fig. 9. The machine will then operato as before.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statute, I have described the principle of my invention together with the apparatus, which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now described my invention, .vhat I claim as new and desire to secrtre by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. In a machine for detecting imperfection in a motion picture film, means for feeding a film throughv the machine, a brake adapted to arrest the movement of the feed"- ing means, any electric circuit, means engaged by the film for holding the circuit open, a magnet i-n the circuit, means whereby when the engaging means encounter Van imperfection in the film the circuit will be closed, the magnet will be energized and the brake applied to stop the feeding means.

2. A device of the character described, comprising means for carrying a film, means for removing the film from the carriers an electric circuit, means engaging the nlm and held in position thereby, with the circuitV open, a brake in the circuit, said circuitoperating means being held in position by engagement of the film-engaging means whereby when the engaging means encounter an imperfection in the film the circuit will be closed, the brake appliedV and the removing means arrested. f Y

8. A device of the character described, comprising'means for carrying a lfilm,`means for removing the lm from the carrier, mea-ns engaging perforations in the lfilm vbetween the carrier and removing means, an electric circuit, saidl engaging means being held in position with the circuit open by engagement with the film, and means whereby the engaging means' will be thrown out of position when said means encounter an imperfection in the film and thereby close the circuit, and means con- -trolledV bythe circuit to arrest the removing means.

t. A device of the character described, comprising a reel for carrying a perforated film, a reel for removing the film from the carriers a vsprocket engaging theV perforations in the film, a spring engaging the sprocket, an electric circuit held open by engagement of the film with the sprocket, whereby when the sprocket encounters an imperfection in the film the sprocket will be released and the spring will move the sprocket to close the circuit and arrest the removing means.

5. A device of the character described, comprising means for carrying the film,

' `means forrenroving the film from the carrier,

a sprocket for engaging the film between the carrier and removing devices, a spring bearing against the sprocket, bellows for controlling the removing devices, an electric circuit held lopen by engagement of the yfilm with the sprocket and means whereby when the sprocket encounters an imperfec- I tion in the film the sprocket will be moved by the spring, the circuit closed, and the bellows will be operated to arrest the removing means. Y

6. A device of the character described, comprising a reel for carrying a film, a reel for removing theV film from the carrier, there being perforations in the film, a sprocket for engaging the .perforations and supporting the film tbetween the carrying and removing reels., a bellowsfor 'controlling the operation of the removing reel, a motor for operating' tjhe bellows, an electric circuit` a spring engaging the. sprocket, whereby an imper fe'ction in the film will release the sprocket, the springv will move theV same to close the circuit vand arrest the removing means.

7. Amdevice of the character described, adapted for engagement with a perforated lm, and having sprockets heid in position by engagement with the sides of the perforations, and Vspr-ings engaging the sprockets, whereby the sprockets will be moved from the plane yof the perforations when an edge of the film for-ming thesides of the perforations is removed or broken.- 1 Y 8. A device of the `cll'iaracter described, adapted for engagement with the perforated film, and having sprockets held in position by engagement with the sides of Vtheperforan tions, elements adaptedv tcbe enga'gedf'by the sprockets and springsengaging the sprockets,

lwhereby the sprocketsy will be moved from the plane of the perforations and make an electrical Contact when an edge of the film forming the sides of the perforations is removed or broken.

9. A device of the character described, adapted to engage Vwith a perforated film, including insulated sprockets held in position by engagement with the sides of the perfora-tions, and springs engaging the sprockets, whereby the sprockets may be moved from the plane of the perforations and make an electrical contact.

10. A device of the character described,

adapted to engage with a perforated film,

including sprockets held in position by engagement with the perforations, there being recesses in the sprockets and springs engaging the sprockets, whereby the sprockets will be moved from' the plane of the perforations when the film no longer holds lthe sprockets against the'pressure of the springs. 1 l1. A device of the character described, adapted to engage with a perforated film, means for feeding the film, sprockets held in position by engagement with the film, there being recesses in the sprockets, a roller resting on the film, electrical contacts, and connections between the contacts and the roller whereby when a portion of the film having a thickened portion of the film passes over the sprockets and anypoint on that sprocket other than a recess, the contact wil be made and the feeding arrested. 5

12. A device of the character described, adapted to engage with a moving picture film, means for feeding the film, insulated sprockets engaging the film, springs tending to move the sprockets away from theV film and make an electrical contact, an electromagnet, an armature,- a finger carried by the armature, a pin engaging the finger, a shaft carrying the pin, a spring for rotating the shaft, a cam carried by the shaft, a second pin engaging the cam, a bolt carried by the cam, an arm engaged by the bolt, and a bellows actuated by the arm.

13. A device of the character described, adapted to engage with a moving picture film, means for feeding the lm, insulated sprockets engaging the film, springs tending to move the sprockets away from thc film and make an electrical contact, an electromagnet, an armature, a finger carried by the armature, a pin engaging the finger, a shaft carrying the pin, a spring for rotating the shaft, a cam carried by the shaft, a pin engaging the cam, a bolt carried by the cam, an arm engaged by the bolt, a bellows actuated by the arm, and connections between the arm and the shaft for resetting the latter.

14. In apparat-us for testing the margins of strips, webs or films, means for moving the strip, etc., means for interrupting the movement, and means controlled by the strip, etc., for controlling the operation of the interrupting means and including independent detectors bearing upon the strip margins and adapted to pass through fractures therein.

15. In apparatus for testing the margins of strips, webs or films, a Wlnding mechanism, a brake mechanism therefor, means for driving the winding mechanism, and means including independent detectors controlled by the strip, etc., and adapted to pass through fractures therein, for interrupting the operation of the driving means and causing the application of the brake mechanism.

16. In apparatus for testing the margins of strips, webs or films, strip Winding means and driving means therefor, a stop mechanism for the winding means, control means for normally holding` the stop mechanism inactive, and means comprising independent detectors engaging the margins of the strip, operative upon the existence of a fracture in the margins of the film, to release the control means for the operation of the stop mechanism and interruption of the driving means.

1.7. In apparatus for testing the margins of strips, webs or films, a winding mechanism and driving means therefor, an automatic brake for the winding mechanism and control means therefor, and means, including independent detectors operating upon the margins of the strip, etc., adapted upon the presence of a laceration in the strip margins, to release the brake control and interrupt the operation of the driving means.

18. In apparatus for testing the margins of strips, webs or films, a winding mechanism and driving means therefor, an automatic brake for the winding mechanism and control means therefor, and means, including automatic independent detectors operating upon the margins of the strip, etc., adapted upon the presence of a laceration in the strip margins, to release the brake control and interrupt the operation of the driving means.

19. In apparatus for testing the margins of strips, webs or films, a feeding or Winding mechanism and a brake therefor, and a controlling device for the brake including a pair of detector members independently operative and respectively engaging opposite margins of the strip, and adapted to pass through marginal lacerations therein.

This specication signed and witnessed 'this 4th day of June, 1915.

MAURICE S. ROSENFELD.

Witnesses:

MAE H. LEWIS, Jol-1N L. Lo'rscn.

Copiez o! this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent,

' Washington, D. C. 

